美国小学英语教材4:第185课 回溯

 A BACKWARD LOOK 回溯

Hundreds of years have gone by since the time of Beowulf, Sigurd, and Roland. 自贝奥武夫、西格德和罗兰时代以来，数百年的时光已悄然流逝。

Yet people love to read of these great heroes. 然而，人们依然喜欢读这些伟大英雄的故事。

Why has their fame lasted through all these years? 为什么历经数百年，他们的声名不堕？

Thousands of men, whose names have long since been forgotten, were as brave as they. 而成千上万名和他们一样勇敢的英雄，名字却早已被人们遗忘。

If you read thoughtfully, you know why these heroes have not been forgotten. 如果你仔细阅读，就会明白为什么这些英雄一直活在人们心中。

You saw that they were not only brave; they were truthful¹, unselfish, and loyal to their friends. 他们不仅勇敢，而且诚实、无私、对朋友忠诚。

They faced danger in order to help their fellow-men. 他们为了帮助同伴临危不惧。

As you read these stories, perhaps you felt that you, too, would like to win fame and honor when you grow older. 阅读这些故事时，你也许觉得自己年老时也希望声名远播。

Of course you cannot battle savage² monsters and slay³ fierce dragons, but there is work to be done in this world that calls for unselfish and brave men and women. 当然，你无法与野蛮的怪物对战，也不能杀死凶猛的恶龙，但在这个世界上，还有一些事需要无私又勇敢的人们去完成。

Only a few years ago, a brave American doctor went to a country where the dreaded⁴ yellow fever killed more people each year than ever did Grendel in the days of Beowulf. 就在几年前，一位勇敢的美国医生来到一个国家，可怕的黄热病每年在那里杀死的人要比贝奥武夫时代的格伦德尔还要多。

Risking his life as he studied the disease, at last he learned the secret of how people became ill with it, and he rid the country of its terrible enemy. 他冒着生命危险对这种疾病展开研究，终于知道了致使人们患病的秘密，帮助这个国家摆脱了病魔的纠缠。

Was not he as great a hero as even Beowulf? 他难道不是和贝奥武夫一样伟大的英雄吗？

After all, to be the noblest kind of hero means only to be a helper of our fellow-men, to be a good citizen of our country. 毕竟，成为最崇高的英雄，就意味着要帮助自己的同胞，做国家的好公民。

Now try making your play. 现在，试着发挥自己的作用吧。

 

1 truthful   

adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的

参考例句：

• You can count on him for a truthful report of the accident.你放心，他会对事故作出如实的报告的。
• I don't think you are being entirely truthful.我认为你并没全讲真话。

2 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

3 slay   

v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮

参考例句：

• He intended to slay his father's murderer.他意图杀死杀父仇人。
• She has ordered me to slay you.她命令我把你杀了。

4 dreaded   

adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The dreaded moment had finally arrived. 可怕的时刻终于来到了。
• He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital. 他害怕非得在医院过圣诞节不可。 来自《用法词典》